What is the Number One reason for having orthodontic treatment?

You might be surprised to learn that the number one reason for having orthodontic treatment is confidence. You might think that the oral health or comfort would be the primary reason. Or perhaps preventive care. The truth is that the main reason why people have orthodontic work done is much more personal.

Your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you. The impression that you make on people when they first meet you is the one that is going to stick with them the longest.

While you may have felt that your teeth represent you in a certain way, there are now numerous studies to back this up.

People seek orthodontic treatment for a range of reasons

There are a lot of reasons why people seek out orthodontic treatment to realign their teeth Some of them may be familiar to. They include:

Improved, more effective and comfortable chewing

Reduce the risk the premature wear and fracture of teeth

Improve some speech problems

Correct cheek biting issues

Reduce the risk of accidental damage to protruding teeth

Close spaces resulting from congenitally absent or extract

Realigning teeth prior to having crown and bridge or implant work

Expansion of the upper jaw to reduce sleep apnoea and snoring issues

They are all good reasons, and important ones. But none of them rate a mention when we talk about the most important reason for having treatment done.

The most important reason is confidence.

Your smile can affect how people react to you

For many people, even if they don’t really care how their teeth appear, the state of their teeth can affect how people react. It’s perhaps not surprising when you remember that your teeth are one of the first things that people look at.

If enough people react poorly to you when you smile at them, it won’t be long before you start becoming self-conscious about your teeth. Other people’s reactions have a huge impact on how we see ourselves.

This is well known to adults who are single, dating, or looking for the perfect partner. From your own experience, you will know how much of an impact a person’s teeth have on how you think about them. For those who are looking for a partner, there’s a good chance that they are acutely aware of how they present to others.

Studies support that feeling. It turns out that up to 73% of people in one survey found a nice smile to be more important than a good physique. Perhaps the time you spend in the gym is secondary to how much time you spend looking after your teeth.

Good smiles are highly attractive, and so is the confidence that a good smile portrays. For a smile to be open, warm, and inviting, whoever is giving the smile needs to feel good about giving it.

A great smile makes you look smarter

Your intelligence is not at all impacted by how good your teeth are, we know this. But people’s instincts are hard to shift. Studies have shown that when it comes to the impression that you make, if you have straight, clean teeth, people will think you are smarter and more successful.

This impression includes prospective employers. A number of studies have shown that good teeth can make people think you have already had great professional success, and even that you are more trustworthy.

Confidence is the Number One reason why people have orthodontic treatment

In our practice we see the impact of people’s teeth on their confidence, daily. It comes in many forms:

those who won’t show their teeth when they smile

kids who talk about being bullied or teased

instinctive behaviours like hiding your mouth.

The positive shift in people’s attitudes is significant when orthodontic treatment is completed, too. When you no longer worry about how you appear to others, you become more confident naturally, and let yourself shine more brightly.

For a lot of people, orthodontic treatment is not as much about dental health as you might think. Dental health is important but most people are after the emotional benefits. Their number one reason for orthodontic treatment is they want to improve their self esteem and confidence and want to look good to others.

Find out how orthodontic treatment can make you feel more confident about yourself. Contact our friendly team and book an appointment to see how we can help you.